Method and apparatus for feeding coal



H. H. HAMILTON METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR FEEDING COAL Filed June 16 1923 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 BY QMLU I NV EN TOR.

V ORNEY.

0cm, 192s. 1,686,131

H. H. HAMILTON.

METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR FEEDING COAL Filed June 16, 1923 2 Sheets-Shae}. 2

IN VEN TOR.

. ATT RNEY.

Patented Oct. 2, 1928.

i UNITED, .STA

TES

HENRY H. rrAMILToN, or COLUMBUS, OHIO.

METHOD, AND APPARATUS FOR remaine- COAL.

Continuation of application Serial No My invention relates to a method and ap 'paratus for feeding coal, and has to do per 'ticularly with the provision of a novel method and apparatus for elevating and projecting coal intoa fire box and automatically distributing such coal to various desired points over the furnace grate.

In the feeding of coal to locomotive fire boxes by means of automatic stoker mechanism, it has been customary to convey the coal to a certain point adjacent the fire box and then to elevate the coal'up to a point from where it may be conveniently projected or fed into the furnace, This projection or feeding of the coal has hitherto been accomplished by means of steam jets, compressed air, mechanically. operated arms, et cetera. Furthermore, this coal has been projected towards the rear of the furnace or 'grate structure' in substantially one path, thus leaving the part of the grate structure adjacent the fire doors or the front of the fire boxpractically free, from coal. conveying and-feeding the 'coalare notonly expensive and complicated but the coalis not distributed to themost efficient points over the grate area after it is once projected into the furnace. I

I have met and-solved the problem of feeding and distributing the coal in a different way. Instead of conveying the coal to a point adjacent the fire box and then elevating the coal to another point. 'I have discoveredthat this coal can be simultaneously elevated and projected into the furnace with one continuous motion. Therefore, I have devised'an apparatus for feeding coalwhich preferably takesthe form of a cylindrical casing. structure provided with revolving paddles of novel" arrangement and design. The inlet and outlet of this hopper structure are so designed that momentum is imparted tothe coal without any crushing'thereof and this imparted momentum is utilized toproject the coaldirectly into the fire. box.

My'devic'e is further provided, preferably just inside the fire box wall, with means for deflecting and distributing the projected coal to different desired points over the grate surface. This deflecting means is such that the fine coal will be initially separated from the coarser coal and will be distributed across the frontofthe furnace while the lumps of coal will be preferably -intermittently deflected and distributed to various points from These structures for 611,598, filed January 9, 1923. This application filed June 16, 1923. Serial No. 645,743.

the extreme front of the furnace to the ex tre'me rear thereof.

This application is a continuationofapplication Serial No. 611,598, filed anuary 9,

'The device which I preferably utilize in novel method of feeding and distributing. coal is shown in the accompa-nyigngidrawings wherein similar characters of reference designate corresponding parts, and wherein:

Figured is aside elevation, partly diagrammatic andsectional, of, my novel coal feeding and distributing device, showing the preferred manner, of connecting this device to; the locomotive.

Figure 2 is a plan vlew, partly cut away i and partly in section, substantially on line 2-2 of Figure 1, showing the method of feeding coal to two separate units for the subsequent elevationand projectionof such coalinto'the fire box. f v

Figure 3 is anenlarged diagrammatic and fragmentary rear elevation of the mechanism for c'ontrollingth-e operation of the deflecting means, showing the manner of adjusting 7 suchdeflecting means to vary both the path and the stroke thereof. I I I Figure 4 is a fragmentary plan viewvof the, structure shown in Figure 8, showing the manner of positioning he coal defiectorover the coal" inlet and also showing the manner of admitting a fluid to such deflector structure to-bothcool said structure and separate the fine coal as it is projected into the furnace. V I

larly to Figures 1 and 2, my. coal feeding apparatus is shown as comprising preferably cylindricalcasings which may be designated 1 and 2., These casings are preferably a rranged. 7 adjacent the opposite sides of the locomotive fire box 3 and are preferabl provided with a;single shaft 4 which; shaft is v In the drawings, and referring particupreferably located justbelow the firingfloor of the locomotive cab. j I I Designed to be carried by the shaft 4 and to be rotated within the casing structures 1 and 2 are a series of paddles 5 and 6 respectively carried, by hubs 7 and 8. Coal is conveyed to these casin 1 and 2 by means of a suitable spiral conveyor 9; Thecon duit for this spiral conveyor 9. and the coal conveyed thereby are preferably divided into conduits 10 and 11, which conduits enter their respective casings 1 and 2 and .asshownin Figure I 2, I prefer to locate the outlet of these con .erably enlarged so that the edges of each paddle are substantially flush with the side Walls of the res ective casings 1 and 2. The base of each pa dle may be cut away as at 12 so that that narrow part of each paddle which I 2 will tend to dro will pass by the outlet of the conveyor conduit or 11 will always be a substantial distance away from the outlet. Thus, it will be obvious that any coal discharged from the conduits 10 and 11 into the casings 1 and down towards the bottom of the casing an between the outer broad edges of the paddles 5 and 6 as they pass by the outlets of such conduits, as is best illustrated in Figure 1.

The casings 1 and 2 are preferably mounted upon a base structure 13 in sucha manner that they will extend longitudinally in the general direction of the locomotive andalso so that the conveyor 9 will be located below the floorof the locomotive cab. Connected to each of the casings 1 and 2 as at 14, I have provided an upwardly and forwardly extendmg conduit 15 for conveying the coal forward into the fire box as it is elevated and thrown from each successive blade 5 and 6. Each conduit 15 merges with the periphery of the casings 1 and 2 so as to continue the gradual curve of such casings until the conduits enter I the firebox. This gradual curve of the conduit is so formed that the coal will be projected directly into the fire box with a momentum which will be determined by the R. P. M. of the paddle blades, the radius and the size of the lumps of coal.

" Positioned inside of the front wall 3 of the I 24. This arm 24 is adjustably connected by.

fire box and designed to be suspended in front of the outlets of the conduits 15, I have provided deflecting elements 16 and 17 These deflecting elements 16 and 17 are carried by hollow lever arms 18 and 19 which also comprise right-angle d hollow extensions 20 pivotally carried by suitablebearings 21 mounted on the front wall of the locomotive fire box 3. The outer end of this hollow projection 20 is connected with a suitable non-rotary or flexible ball joint 22 which in turn is connected with a suitable pipe and valve structure 23 for the variable admission of steam or water in any desired form. Keyed to the outer end of the projection 20, at a point between the fire box wall 3 and the joint 22, is an arm 1 "means of holes 25 to a vertically positioned link 26. This link 26 is pivotally connected to a lever 27 which in turn is oscillated about a fulcrum 28 by means of a vertically reciprocable rod 29, which is so reciprocated by means of an eccentric structure 30 connected to a suitable driven shaft 31. It will thus be obvious that when the rod 29 is vertically reciprocated the link structure 24, 26 and 27 will be effective to simultaneously oscillate the deflector 16 vertically up and down in front of the conduit 15. The fulcrum 28 is adjustable by means of a suitable screw structure 32 and lock nuts 33 whereby it will be possible to change the path of the deflector 16 by merely adjusting the-screw element 32 or it will be possible to change the length of said path by adjusting the upper end of the link 26 in one of the various holes 25.

The deflector elements 16 and 17 are preferably made of material of high heat'resisting qualities and are also preferably hollow. As best shown in Figure 1 the deflector elements preferably extend vertically downward for a port-ion of their length and are then inclined at an angle for the remainder of their length. As best shown in Figures 3 and 4, atthe top of the deflector elements 16 and 17 and positioned along the side adjacent the conduits 15,

I have provided a series'of outlet orifices 34 ling the movement of the deflector 17 is symmetrical in form and arrangement to the structure as above described and as shown in Figure 3.

In operation, the coal is conveyed to the casings 1 and 2 by means of the spiral conveyor 9, it being understood that this spiral conveyor may be operated inthe usual way and at any desired speed to furnish the conduits 10 and 11 withthe casings 1 and 2 with the required amount and kind of coal desired. As the coal is discharged from the corn duits 10 and 11 the lumps and particles of coal are dropped downwardly towards the bottom of the casing and between the revolving blades 5 and 6. A definite amount ofcoal will thus be fed into the casings and be caught between two of the blades 5 or 6 so that when these blades are revolved this definite amount of coal will be carried round towards the top of the casing by means of the broad outer edges of these blades. The paddle structures or blades 5 and 6 may be rotated at any desired speed so that the coal carried by each blade will be projected forward through the conduit 15 anddirectlyinto the fire box3 as'v the blade passes the point 1d, wherea definite velocity is imparted to the particles of coal in accordance with the velocity of the blades, the radius and the'tangential action produced as the coal leaves the blades. The continued revolution of each of the paddle structures will thus cause a practically. continuous stream or body of coal to be elevated and directly projected into the furnace. In order to properly distribute the coal as it is projectedinto the furnace I have provided vertically reciprocable elements 16 and 17. As power is applied to the shaft 31, the rod29 and the connected. link structure will be effective to oscillate the hollow lever arms 18 and 19 about the axes formed by the bearing structures 21. This raising and lowering of the deflectorelements 16 and 17 in front of the conduitsvl5 is so timed in relationto the revolution of the paddle structures that the proj ected coal will be intermittently deflected fro-m its general path. In normal position'the bottom of the deflector 16 is adjacent to the top of the conduit structure 15 so that before the deflector element is lowered the main body of the coal will be preferably projected to the rear of the grate surface. As the deflector 16 is lowered the particles of coal will be gradually deflected and distributed towards the front of the furnace until the deflector has been lowered to its approximate lower position when the greater part of the coal will be deflected and distributed to the immediate front of the grate surface. The fluid, preferably steam, passing through the hollow supporting arms 18 and 19 will issue from the plurality of small orifices 34 in the form of small jets. These jets of fluid will pass downwardly at right angles through the path of the projected coal at all times so that the finer particles of coal will be separated and distributed over the grate surface at the front of such grate, regardless of the position of the deflector element 16. Thus this fluid not only tends to relatively cool the deflector elements and supporting arms 18 and 19, to protect them from the resulting heat in the fire box, but also to separate substantially all of the finer particles of coal and keep them from passing up through the smoke stack by virtue of the strong draft which is always present in locomotive furnace structures.

It will be understood that the hopper or casing structures may be of any desired form and of any desired number whereby the coal may be introduced into the fire box at any number of desired points. Also the paddle blades 5 and 6 may be of any desired structure whereby they will be able to impart momentum to the coal preferably without crushing such particles during their operation of elevating and projecting such coal.

It will also be understood that the deflector elements 16 and 17 may be of any desired shape and size, as it will be obvious that a different size or shape of deflector would be their preferred in deflecting coalof different sizes and also when deflecting and distributing coral to various sizes of furnaces and grate structures. It will further be understood that the deflector elements 16 vand -17 may 'be independently operated instead of being connected to the same lever arm 26 as is shown in Figure 3. l i

It will be'seen that I have provided a novel and decidedly simple stoker for feeding and distributing coal which is effective to auto} matically and continuously elevate, project and distribute the coal with one continuous motion. It will be further noted that I have provided a feeding structure which not only elevates the coal and utilizes this. elevating actionto impart momentum to the coal but also thatthe coal is projected'directly into the fire box with substantially no loss ofsuch imparted momentum. It will further be obvious that I have provideda method and means wherein this directly projected 'coal maybe automatically distributed to all points of the furnace structure while at the same time separating and distributing the finer particlesof coal from the main distributed mass of coal. It will also be obvious that by providing means for varying the path, or the length of the path, of the deflector, or a combination of both, I have provided a structure that maybe adjusted to take care of any variations in the size of the furnace, the length of the grate surface, the velocity or kind of fuel fed or projected and the point at which said fuel is pro ected into the fire box.

Having thus describedmy invention, what I claim is 1. The method of feeding coal which consists in elevating and projecting the coal into the furnace with one continuous motion, separating the fine coal from the coarse coal and delivering the coarse coal to predetermined areas of the furnace.

2. The method of feeding coal which consists in elevating and projecting coal into the furnace with one continuous motion, separating the'fine coal from the coarse, and simultaneously deflecting such coarse. projected coa 3. The method of feeding coal which consists in elevating and projecting the coal into the furnace with one continuous motion, separating the fine coal from the coarse, and deflecting such coarse projected coal.

4c. The method of delivering fuel which comprises elevating and tangentially projecting the fuel directly into the furnace, continuously passing a fluid through the fuel to sepa rate the fine fuel, and intermittently deflecte ing the coarse fuel to distribute it to different arts of the furnace.

/ 5. The method of feeding coal to a locomo tive fire box which consists in elevating and projecting the coal directly into the furnace with one continuous motion, separating the fine coal from the coarse coal and variably intercepting the path of the coarse coal to distribute'it over the fire box.

6. a In a locomotive having a fire box stoker means for projecting coal into said 'fire. box, and meanslacting as a unitfor settling the finer fuel and deflecting the coarse fueL 7. In a locomotive, a fire box in combination with a mechanical stoker comprising a'paddle structure positioned below and adjacent the firing door, means for rotating the paddle structure, means for feeding coal to-said paddle'stru'cture whereby the coal willbe elevated ,i and thrown directly into the furnace With one continuous mot1on,. means for deflecting the path of the projected fuel, means for passing a cooling fluid through said deflecting means,

and meansfor projecting apartofsaid cooling fiuidthrough the path of the projected coal. 1' I s 8. In a locomotive,afire box in combination with a mechanical stoker comprising-a revoluble paddle positioned-below the firing door of said box, means for-feeding ,coal tos'aid paddle to be projected into the furnace, and

fluid cooledrneans for changing the pathof said coal, said fluid being utilized for separat- 1 ing the fine coal fromsaid projected'coal. 9. In a mechanical Stoker, a 'rotatable paddle Wheel mounted upon a horizontal axis,'a

casing therefor having a fuel inlet below said axis and between said axis and the p-at-h of the paddles of said paddle wheel, anda fuel outlet HENRY HAMILTON, I 

